South American Wines – Argentina
Over the past couple months I have been lucky enough to attend a few wine events that included line ups of some remarkable wines and found that wines from Argentina are crazy delicious! The wines coming out of this South American country are incredibly flavorful, complex, and more often than not, of extremely high quality.
Argentina grows a variety of common grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but is also known for producing unique varietal wines including Malbec and Torrontés.
Malbec originates from the Cahors region in Southern France where it is known as Côt and is also one of the blending varietals in Bordeaux wines. The grape was brought to Argentina in the mid 19th century and Argentinian producers found this red grape adapted very well to the country’s climate and soils. Malbec is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon as it can produce young, fruity, simple wines but can also be made into rich, complex wines worthy of extended cellaring. The color of Malbec wine is intense – very dark purple black – and is generally soft and lush with aromas of ripe prunes, plums, and anise. This wine tastes great with dark meats, rich sauces, and hard cheeses.
Torrontés is a white wine that is truly unique to Argentina. Its origins are still questionable, but wine experts agree that it is very similar to Muscat grown in wine regions near the Mediterranean. I would compare Torrontés to Viognier as it has that fragrant, floral aroma with sweet honey and a hint of spicyness. This grape also makes exceptional sparkling and fortified wines. Torrontés pairs well with spicy dishes and strong cheeses.
I recently tried the following wines and found them to be great examples of what Argentina has to offer.
2006 Colome Torrontés, $13
This wine is intensely aromatic and floral with notes of roses, honeysuckle, jasmine, and a slight citrus twist. Stone and citrus fruit are revealed on the palate, which culminate in a crisp, clean finish. This wine is brought to the U.S. by Hess in Napa so it should be widely available.
2003 Catena Alta Chardonnay, $45
Chardonnay is another important white wine grape in Argentina and the Catena Family produces an excellent age-worthy Chardonnay. This wine was made from grapes grown at the Catena Family’s Adriana Vineyard, which is located 5,000 feet in elevation, making it the highest vineyard in Argentina’s most celebrated growing region, Mendoza. The resulting wine has powerful aromatics with great acidity and concentrated flavors on the palate. Minerals and ripe stone fruit with notes of honey and vanilla from oak aging all meld together to create an elegant wine with the potential to age for another 5+ years.
2004 Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira Malbec, $80
The ultimate Malbec – this wine shows just how complex and age-worthy an Argentinian Malbec can be! This opaque, purple-black Malbec is incredibly smooth with aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, earth, leather, and hints of vanilla. Can drink now but I would hold onto it for a few more years as time in the bottle will further develop this already complex wine.
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